Grommet setting implement



July 27, 1948. w 5 CASTLE 2,445,761

GROMMET SETTING IMPLEMENT Filed Sept. 10, 1945 Patented July 27, 1948 GROMMET SETTING IMPLEMENT William E. Castle, Fontana, Calif.

Application September 10, 1945, Serial No. 615,481

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

Th invention described herein, if patented may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a manually operated machine for cutting holes in material and applying and setting grommets therein.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved grommet setting machine having a pair of upper and lower cutting dies for cutting a hole in canvas material or the like and a pair of upper and lower setting members forinserting and setting a grommet around the hole and wherein the upper die and upper setting member are integral with each other and the lower die and lower setting member are integral with each other, and wherein means are provided to permit relative movement of the dies after the cutting operation to permit the setting operation to take place,

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved hand operated machine for setting grommets which is provided with a punch for first cutting a hole in the material and setting members for inserting and setting a grommet and a grommet washer around the hole wherein the punch has resilient or magnetized means for holding and carrying the grommet to setting position during the punching operation. A further object of the invention is to provide a grommet and grommet washer setting machine having a unitary upper die and setting member and a unitary lower die and setting member, the upper die being adapted to hold the grommet and the lower setting member being adapted to receive the grommet washer, the dies and members being in axial alignment and the parts being so constructed that the upper die carries the grommet to setting position during the cutting operation and continues to move unitarily with the upper setting member during the setting operation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a hand operated machine for cutting a hole in material and applying a grommet and a grommet washer all in one stroke through the action of a lever operated plunger and wherein means are provided in the dies to permit the cut waste material to pass out.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear in the following detailed description and be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification; and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the grommet setting machine with the handle cut away to show the interior construction;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail showing the die and setting members and the rack and pinion construction;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the upper die and setting members;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the lower die and setting members; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail showing a modified form of the upper die member.

Referring to the drawing, I represents the body of the grommet setting machine having a handle 2 and fork members 3 and 4 projecting therefrom. The upper fork member 3 is provided with a plunger 5 mounted therein, said plunger being formed with a die punch 6 at the bottom thereof, said die being provided with a circular cutting edge 6'. Unitary with the die 6 is a setting member 1' having a setting surface 1 therein circumferentially of the die 6.

The lower fork member 4 is provided with a seat 8 fastened thereto by the bolt 9. The upper surface of the seat 8 is provided with a die In and a setting surface I l. The lower die 10 comprises an upstanding tube having a passage l2 extending downwardly and open at the bottom of the seat member 8. The plunger 5 is provided with an annular groove l3 between the die 6 and setting surface 1, said groove receiving the lower die l0 when the plunger 5 is moved downwardly to bring the upper and lower dies and the upper and lower setting members into cooperative relationship.

The die punch 6 is provided with a laterally extending opening in the ends of which ball-bearings M are seated. These ball-bearings protrude laterally of the die 6 and are intended to frictionally hold a grommet in position. The ballbearings I 4 are yieldingly held outwardly by a coil spring l5 between the ball-bearings pressing thereon. The ends of the opening converge slightly to prevent the escape of the ball-bearings.

The main body l of the grommet setting machine has mounted therein a handle l6 extending into slot ll of the body I and pivoted thereto at IS. The pivot comprises a pin l8 fastened in position by suitable means such as nut IS. The inner end of handle I6 is formed into a pinion 20 for cooperation with a rack 2| formed in the side of plunger 5. V

Figure 6 shows a modified form for the die punch. This modified upper die 22 is provided with a magnetized surface 23 for holding the grommet in position instead of the ball-bearings M as in Figure 3. This modification of Figure 6 is of course limited in use to grommets of a paramagnetic nature. The embodiment shown in Figure 3 is adapted for application of grommets made of any type of material.

In operation, a grommet is slipped over the die punch 5 or 22 and is held in position either by the ball-bearings [4 or by magnetism in the embodiment of Figure 6. A grommet washer is placed on the lower setting member H. The material, canvas or otherwise, in which the grommet is to be set is positioned between. the upper die 6 or 22 and the lower die I0. The handle l5 and the handle 2 are grasped and pressed together manually. This action carries theplunger 5 downwardly through the interaction of. the pinion 20 and rack 2i. movement of the plunger 5, the grommet is carried. downwardly by the die 6 or 22. When the die 9 reaches the lowerdie ill it will engagethe material and cut a circular disc therefrom, forcingsaid disc downwardly through the tube 12 as the die 9' or 22 continues to move downwardly. Further movement of the die carries the grommet to a position on the lower setting member where the grommet is held against further movement while the plunger 5 and die 6 or 22- continue to move downwardly. Further movement of the plunger 5 causes the upper setting surface i to engage the top of the grommet and force same downwardly to encircle the washer and the material circumferentially. around the opening cut in the material. In this operation the grommet is bent and. curled under the action of the setting surfaces to tightly engage the materialon top and the washer on the bottom to complete the setting operation. During the latter part of the settin operation as the plunger 5 moves downwardly, the wer i! is r c iv n th annular. gr v This groove l3 permits the setting members 'i' and II to interact without any interference from the dies.

n t e mbod m nt i isu e as th d e enters die I0, the inner surface of tube 12 forces e a in s i inwardly again t t e sp in l! so as, not to interfere with continued, movement of the die 6 and setting, surface 1,. The cut out, portions of waste material are ejected from the bottom, of passage l2,

While th inventio has been described inmore or less detail, it is not to be limited thereby, as changes may be made in the form, arrangement and construction of parts, and equivalents may be substituted, without. departing from the spirit and scope of the. invent on. the orms. here nb io e s r ed being me p e r ed e bodimerits thereof.

I claim:

1. A machine fior inserting and setting grom-v mets in fabric material comprising an upper setting member, a die punch integral with said upper setting member, a lower setting member, a lower tubular cutting die upstanding from and integral with said lower setting member and adapted to receive the die punch, said dies. and members being in axial, alignment, said punch During, this dOWIlWard 4 having radially movable means to releasably hold a grommet therearound and said lower setting member having an annular groove adapted to receive a grommet washer, means to move said upper punch and upper setting member relatively to said lower die and lower setting member whereby said punch and die will cut a hole in the fabric material placed therebetween, said punch will carry the grommet to setting position and release the same, and said setting members will set said grommet and washer around the hole while said punch and die have relative movement, and a circular groove between said punch and said upper setting member to receive said lower die after the hole is cut and while the grommet and washer are being set.

2. A, machine for inserting and setting grommets in fabric material comprising an upper setting member, a die punch integral with said upper setting member, a lower setting member, a lower tubular cutting die upstanding from and integral, with said lower setting member and adapted to receive the die punch, said dies and members being in axial alignment, said punch having radially movable means to releasably hold a grommet therearound and said lower setting member having an annular groove adapted to receive a grommet washer, means to move said upper punch and upper setting member relatively to said lower die and lower setting member whereby said punch and die will cut a hole in the fabric material placed therebetween, said punch will carry the grommet to setting position and release the same, and said setting members will set said grommet and washer around the hole while said punch and die have relative movement, said means for holding the grommet comprising a tubular opening extending laterally through said punch, a ball-bearing seated at each end of the opening and protruding beyond the wall of the punch, and a spring means for yieldingly urging said ball-bearings outwardly to frictionally hold said grommet.

WILLIAM E. CASTLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Denmark Nov. 9, 1895 Number Number 

